7 Tasks of GBA｜Path of cooperation and development platforms in Greater Bay Area (Part II)

Published : 2024-10-05

Editor︰Ryu

What needs to be done for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA)?

In Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Development Plan), mentions seven major tasks.

This series examines achievements across seven areas, spotlighting the cooperation and development platforms in the GBA cities in this article.

Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone

The Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone (HTCZ) is composed of the approximately 87-hectare Hong Kong Park on the south side of the Shenzhen River and the approximately 300-hectare Shenzhen Park on the north side of the Shenzhen River, built on the concepts of "One River, Two Banks" and "One Zone, Two Parks".

The Development Plan proposes to support the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Loop and the adjacent Shenzhen innovation and technology zone to jointly build a science and technology innovation cooperation zone and establish an international business environment conducive to innovation in the technology industry.

The Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone is a special platform in the Greater Bay Area with innovation and technology as its theme.

The Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch in the Hetao Cooperation Zone is one of the key projects of the 'One Zone, Two Parks' cooperation in Hetao, jointly funded and built by the Shenzhen and Hong Kong governments.

Currently, the Hetao Shenzhen Park has completed the construction of 13 specialised parks and 8 national-level major scientific research platforms, and is advancing the implementation of more than 160 high-end scientific research projects with the Hong Kong Park, covering six major fields including life and health technologies, artificial intelligence and data science, and new materials.

As for the Hong Kong Park, construction has begun on the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Loop, located in San Tin Technopole.

The first three buildings will be completed in succession by the end of 2024, jointly and comprehensively promoting the high-quality development of the innovation and technology industry with Shenzhen.

Jiangmen Dawanghai Bay Economic Zone

Jiangmen Greater Bay Area Guanghai Bay Economic Zone is comprised of the Yinhu Bay Coastal New Area and the Guanghai Bay Economic Development Zone.

It serves as a crucial hub connecting the Greater Bay Area with Western Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta, benefiting from a strategic location that links the eastern and western regions.

The Development Plan proposes supporting Jiangmen in cooperating with Hong Kong and Macao to develop the Greater Bay Area Guanghai Bay Economic Zone.

It also aims to accelerate the development of the Yinhu Bay Coastal Area, transforming it into an international cluster for energy-saving and environmental protection industries, as well as a platform for attracting talents and expertise and for innovation and entrepreneurship targeting overseas Chinese worldwide.

The Dawanghai Bay Economic Zone, located in the southeast of Jiangmen City, has a planned area of 324,000 hectares and an exclusive marine economic zone of nearly 30 million hectares. — The Daguanghai Bay Economic Zone is located in the southeastern part of Jiangmen City, with a planned area of 324,000 hectares and a marine exclusive economic zone of nearly 30 million hectares. (Image Source: VCG)

The Daguanghai Bay Economic Zone has rich marine resources, and its key industries for development include marine biology, circular economy, port-side energy and logistics.

Taking the Yinhu Bay Coastal New Area as an example, it has established four major industrial platforms, including a demonstration zone for facilitating investment and reforming modern service industries tailored for overseas Chinese, and an industrial park for developing new environmental protection materials such as those used in energy conservation, environmental protection, and fine chemicals.

These initiatives are actively positioning the area as an innovation platform for high-end industries within the Greater Bay Area.

Furthermore, following the example of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge, the Huangmaohai Cross-Sea Bridge is scheduled to open to traffic by the end of 2024.

Upon completion, Jiangmen will be connected with Shenzhen, Hengqin, Macao, and Hong Kong within a "one-hour living circle". This development will establish the Greater Bay Area Guanghai Bay Economic Zone as a pivotal gateway for connecting with Hong Kong and Macao.

Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay New Area

Binhaiwan Bay New Area is an important strategic platform for Dongguan to advance the construction of the Greater Bay Area and high-level opening-up.

The Development Plan proposes supporting the joint development and construction of the Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area by Dongguan and Hong Kong, to gather high-end manufacturing headquarters, develop the modern service industry, and build research and development bases for strategic emerging industries.

Dongguan, as the 'world's factory', has given rise to a number of leading enterprises such as OPPO and vivo, laying a solid foundation for 'Intelligently Made in Dongguan'. The picture shows the VIVO Industrial Park located in Binhaiwan New Area. — The picture shows the vivo Industrial Park located in the Binhaiwan Bay New Area. (Image Source: VCG )

Leveraging Dongguan's complete manufacturing system, the Binhaiwan Bay New Area is vigorously developing strategic emerging industries such as life and health, artificial intelligence, and new-generation electronic information technology, making every effort to build a hub for the transformation of innovation and technology achievements.

At present, the Binhaiwan Bay New Area has basically formed an industrial chain of "leading enterprise + industry + application + service".

In addition to being approved for the construction of a characteristic cooperation platform in the Greater Bay Area, it is also a core platform of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao high-tech innovation corridor, the Guangdong Provincial High-tech Industrial Development Zone, the Coordinated Development Zone of the Guangdong Pilot Free Trade Zone, and other national and provincial key platforms.

In the future, the Binhaiwan Bay New Area will jointly build a Dongguan-Hong Kong cooperation platform with Hong Kong, creating a new cooperation model of "research in Hong Kong and Macao, transformation in the Binhaiwan Bay New Area".

Foshan Nanhai Demonstration Zone

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation High-end Service Demonstration Zone, located in Nanhai, Foshan, is the fourth characteristic cooperation platform mentioned in the Development Plan, with an area of about 74 hectares.

The Development Plan proposes to support Nanhai, Foshan in promoting high-end service cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, and to build bridges for the interconnection of markets and the exchange of economic factors such as talent, information and technology among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

The Foshan Nanhai Demonstration Zone is centred around the Sanlongwan Nanhai Area, Qiandeng Lake Financial Area, Foshan West Railway Station Two-Industry Integration Pilot Zone, and the Central Business and Logistics Area.

The Foshan Hong Kong and Macao Youth Entrepreneurship and Incubation Base, which opened in August 2021, has cumulatively introduced more than 40 start-up projects with core teams of young people from Hong Kong and Macao, building a bridge for the exchange of talent between Foshan, Hong Kong, and Macao.

As one of the first provincial-level "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Demonstration Bases for the Liberalisation of Trade in Services" in Guangdong Province, the Nanhai Demonstration Zone is deepening interconnected and interactive industrial cooperation with the four core cities of the Greater Bay Area: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macao.

Today, Guangzhou and Foshan have jointly launched over 110 innovation and technology cooperation projects, including tackling core technical challenges, to collectively enhance industrial competitiveness.

In terms of cooperation between Shenzhen and Foshan, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Park Foshan Innovation and Technology Park was completed in 2023, vigorously promoting the alignment and cooperation of "Shenzhen technology + Foshan industry" to form complementary advantages.